Department of Aerospace & Mechanical Engineering
News

Built for Speed, Engineered for Safety

Sep 11, 2026For the Auto Club of Southern California’s summer campaign against illegal street racing, the student-run design team USC Racing demonstrated how safety is built into every stage of developing a competitive race car.

What Can You Do With 50,000 GPUs?

Sep 03, 2026Four USC Viterbi researchers selected for the Argonne National Laboratory extreme-scale computing program are learning how to run complex scientific simulations on the world’s most powerful supercomputers.

Unlocking the Physics of Turbulence with AI

Aug 24, 2026A USC-led collaboration has received Department of Energy Genesis Mission funding to develop an AI framework for unprecedented high-fidelity turbulence simulation.

From Stress-Relief Vibration Patterns to Haptic Emojis, USC Researchers Personalize the Sense of Touch With AI

Jul 27, 2026New study is first to develop algorithm that learns an individual's preferred vibration patterns, opening the door to personalized haptic experiences in gaming, mental health and automobiles

USC Space Lab Opens Its Doors as A New Era of Space Competition Takes Off

Jul 23, 2026First-ever open house showcases USC SERC where students are building satellites, developing space robots and preparing for the next generation of space exploration

New Stretchable Catheter Could Help Doctors Spot Plaque Before It Causes Heart Attacks

Jul 22, 2026An NIH Trailblazer Award is supporting USC Viterbi Assistant Professor Hangbo Zhao's research on flexible medical electronics designed to give physicians new insights into high-risk artery plaque.

The Hidden Cardiovascular Risks of Nicotine-Free Vaping

Jul 08, 2026A study by USC Viterbi researchers indicates that nicotine-free e-cigarettes can disrupt the heart's oxygen supply-demand balance, a key indicator of cardiovascular health.

A New Vision for the USC Department of Aerospace & Mechanical Engineering

Jul 01, 2026Professor Assad Oberai, newly appointed chair of USC Viterbi’s Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering (AME), discusses how advances in computation, autonomy and artificial intelligence are reshaping the field - and where AME should focus its efforts next.

The Exit Interview: Dean Yannis C. Yortsos

Jun 29, 2026Twenty-One Years. Twenty-One Questions. A Q&A with USC Viterbi's longest serving dean.

For America’s 250th, We Created Commemorative Stamps of Trojan Builders

Jun 29, 2026Need patriotic stamps? We've got you covered. Check out our collection of 14 USC computer scientists and engineers who helped build the modern computing world. Also, they're animated.

Students Design and Build a Rocket to Carry Payloads to Space

Jun 18, 2026USC Rocket Propulsion Lab’s third successful spaceshot, Daybreak, carried payloads for other student organizations and validated new technologies that expand the team's ability to return to space on repeat.

Professor Azad Madni Receives IISE Albert G. Holzman Distinguished Educator Award

Jun 09, 2026The prestigious award recognizes educators who have contributed significantly to the industrial and systems engineering profession through teaching, research and innovation.

Professor Azad Madni Honored as Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering

May 20, 2026Professor Azad Madni is one of 56 highly accomplished engineers from around the world selected as 2026 Fellows of the Canadian Academy of Engineering.

Class Of 2026 Trojan Engineers Tasked As Trustworthy Problem-Solvers As They Launch Next Chapter

May 17, 2026From 35 countries and equipped with the skills to advance their chosen field of engineering, the Viterbi Class of 2026 gathered to celebrate degrees earned across oceans, languages, and cultures.

Ingenuity and Perseverance: USC Viterbi Master’s Graduates Are Ready For The Toughest Challenges

May 17, 2026More than 3,500 engineering students gathered at the Galen Center on May 15 to celebrate the USC Viterbi School of Engineering's Class of 2026 master's commencement ceremonies, marked by keynote addresses.

At USC Viterbi, 170 newly minted Ph.Ds. stepped forward toward a bright future

May 16, 2026The Class of 2026 gathered at Bovard Auditorium to celebrate years of research, discovery and impact.

Fire, Water, Data: Elements of an Engineer-Entrepreneur’s Education

May 07, 2026CLASS OF 2026 – Mitchell Kirby has a talent for converting civil and environmental engineering concepts into promising business models. As he prepares to graduate, he's chosen to bet on a venture that takes him back to his roots.

Four Engineers, One Family: The Bristow Brothers Bring It Home at USC

May 01, 2026CLASS OF 2026 - When Duke and Wellington Bristow cross the stage this May, they'll be completing something their father started decades ago - a family tradition of engineering that's now four members deep.

Engineering Lift-Off: Four Years of Flight, Research, and Curiosity

Apr 28, 2026CLASS OF 2026 - From building LEGO airplanes as a kid to winning back-to-back AIAA regional awards and co-founding USC's Human-Powered Flight Research Team, Long Beach native Nicholas Lototsky is finishing his bachelor's in Aerospace Engineering at USC Viterbi the same way he started it: full throttle.

From Backhands to Breakthroughs: USC Viterbi Students Take Bold Biomechanics Research Worldwide

Apr 27, 2026BME students will present their work at the 10th World Congress of Biomechanics this summer.

The Fire Forecast: AI Model Accurately Predicts the Spread of Wildfires in Real Time

Apr 14, 2026By combining high-resolution satellite data, terrain data and realistic fire simulations, USC Viterbi researchers have developed a reconstruction and prediction tool for making informed decisions when tackling catastrophic wildfires.

Measure Twice, Learn Once: The Class USC’s AME Engineers Can’t Forget

Mar 10, 2026At USC Viterbi's AME department, Mechoptronics is the course students dread taking and spend the rest of their careers grateful they did.

Building Engineers: Inside USC’s Hands-On Mechoptronics Lab

Mar 10, 2026At USC Viterbi's Mechoptronics lab, 190 students learn measurement, troubleshooting, and hands-on engineering skills they'll carry for life. From soldering capacitors to dissecting cameras, students say the course is challenging, time-consuming, and ultimately the most useful class they take.

Where Flow Becomes Science: Inside the Fabulous Fluids Facility

Mar 05, 2026A tour with Paul Ronney, Chair of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering, through three laboratories that ask the same fundamental question: how does fluid move, and why?

Where Mechanical Engineers Are Made: Inside the Baum Family Maker Space

Feb 20, 2026A tour with Paul Ronney, Chair of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering, through the facility where AME students build, test, compete, and learn that sometimes your best asset isn't speed, it's reliability.

No Brain, No Problem: What Robots Can Learn from Sea Stars

Feb 03, 2026USC Kanso Bioinspired Motion Lab borrows a trick from nature's toolkit that can be applied to optimize robot locomotion.

Ambitious Seniors Design and Build Solutions to the Toughest Engineering Problems

Dec 19, 2025The annual Senior Design Showcase at the USC Department of Aerospace & Mechanical Engineering is a chance for students to transform ideas into innovations, tackling some of the most pressing technological challenges facing industry today.

Three USC Viterbi Professors Named Fellows of National Academy of Inventors

Dec 11, 2025Shang-Hua Teng, S.K. Gupta and Massoud Pedram receive the prestigious honor in recognition of their contributions to innovation, invention and technology.

Azad Madni Honored by ASME with Spirit of St. Louis Medal

Dec 01, 2025Azad Madni to receive ASME’s Spirit of St. Louis Medal at 2026 ASME SSDM

Researchers Invent New AI Tool to Automate Detection of Cancer in Blood Samples

Oct 15, 2025Innovation detects cancer cells in blood samples (liquid biopsies) in as little as 10 minutes and identifies hard-to-find cells without humans in-the-loop

Medical Electronics that Match the Stretchability of Human Tissue

Sep 29, 2025Researchers at USC Viterbi School of Engineering have developed a novel method for fabricating highly precise and stretchable electronics that conform seamlessly to the body.

Gaming the cancer-immunity cycle by synchronizing treatment schedules

Aug 12, 2025What if cancer treatment could be made more effective and less toxic - not by inventing new drugs, but by rethinking the timing strategy of existing therapies?

What’s Cooking in the Advanced Materials and Metallurgy Labs?

Aug 04, 2025From the perspective of USC researcher Wen Chen, human history is a tale of material transformation.

Hangbo Zhao Receives Prestigious NSF CAREER Award for Advanced Manufacturing Research

Jul 30, 2025The $546,713 award will support Zhao’s pioneering work in high-resolution manufacturing of stretchable electronics.

Excellence, Curiosity, Character: The Graduates of the USC Viterbi Class of 2025

May 19, 2025At the USC Viterbi undergraduate commencement ceremony, the next generation of engineers are encouraged to advance technology that solves the world's grand challenges.

“You Are Agents of Change”: The USC Viterbi Master’s Class of 2025

May 19, 2025At the USC Viterbi master's commencement ceremonies, Dean Yannis C. Yortsos praised graduates on the "singular achievement" of earning their master's degree.

Fascinated by Flow

May 12, 2025Oliver Khan, a graduating student in aerospace engineering, dreams of a sustainable future for supersonic air travel.

From Lego, to Electric Racecars, to SpaceX

May 12, 2025Graduating mechanical engineering student PJ Morgan's involvement with USC Formula Electric led to a prestigious internship at SpaceX.

New research reveals how organisms are shaped to optimize feeding

May 09, 2025A major transition in the evolution of life on Earth can be traced to how ciliates have adapted to maximize nutrient intake.

USC Recumbent Vehicle Design Team Celebrates 10 Years of Innovation

May 08, 2025What are the secrets of the student-run design team’s track record of success?

USC Viterbi’s CURVE Program Hosts Annual Student Research Showcase

Apr 29, 2025135 student presentations address health, security, sustainability and how to enrich life

Milestones and Memories at the 46th Viterbi Awards

Apr 28, 2025The annual gala celebrated major USC Viterbi accomplishments and inspirational honorees

Are Autonomous Robots Ready to Navigate Under Water?

Apr 08, 2025New research from Kanso Bioinspired Motion Lab at USC uses on-board flow sensors to enable robots to learn, adapt and move fluidly in underwater environments.

New Research Reveals the Origins of Cooperation

Apr 08, 2025A groundbreaking study by USC Kanso Bioinspired Motion Lab reveals fundamental insights into the selective forces favoring the early evolution of multicellular organization.

USC Viterbi Faculty Elected as American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Fellows

Mar 28, 2025Two leading researchers at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering join the ranks of AAAS fellows, one of the most prestigious honors in academia.

Five Things You Can Do to Help Fireproof Your House

Feb 10, 2025USC Viterbi Professor Fokion Egolfopoulos on how to fireproof existing homes and build back better and safer

When Words Fail, She Just Builds

Feb 04, 2025Elisa McCormick, president of USC's Recumbent Vehicle Design Team (RVDT), explains her philosophy of creation and fun in engineering through surprising innovation.

Building A More Resilient City of Angels, Part 2

Feb 03, 2025From fire response robots to retardant firing artillery, USC Viterbi engineers offer potential solutions for the future.

Why Do Wildfires Increase Flood Risk?

Jan 29, 2025An expert on fluid dynamics shares how engineers can help mitigate flooding after major wildfires.

Building A More Resilient City of Angels, Part 1

Jan 29, 2025As Angelenos brace for "fire years" rather than "fire seasons," USC Viterbi engineers offer potential solutions for the future.

USC Viterbi Hosts Honeywell Hypersonics & Emerging Technologies Industry Day

Jan 13, 2025Leading industry representatives, academics and students gathered on campus to discuss the future of hypersonic technology.

Senior Design Projects Tackle Today’s Top Engineering Problems

Dec 18, 2024Students in the USC Department of Aerospace & Mechanical Engineering apply their learning to address some of the most pressing technological challenges facing industry today.

From Invention to Innovation: Alumnus’ Journey to Becoming an Engineer-Entrepreneur

Dec 17, 2024Matt Petros, co-founder of 3DEO, returned to his alma mater to speak as part of the Startup Stories event series hosted by USC Viterbi Office of Technology Innovation and Entrepreneurship (TIE).

Three USC Viterbi Professors Named 2024 Fellows of the National Academy of Inventors

Dec 16, 2024Francisco Valero-Cuevas, Wei Wu and Theodore Tsotsis received the prestigious honor in recognition of their exceptional contributions to innovation, invention and technology.

USC Student Rocket Group Shatters International Amateur Space Record

Nov 15, 2024Aftershock II is believed to be the world’s first civilian-built rocket to reach an altitude of 470,000 feet.

The Moving Parts Behind Making Memories

Nov 07, 2024How one USC student is using his engineering background to create new realities.

New Behaviors Emerge from Schooling Fish In Confined Space

Oct 30, 2024New paper, for perhaps the first time, identifies how topology of environment affects collective animal behavior

Evidence of Vaping’s Harmful Effects on Blood Vessels and the Left Ventricle of Heart

Oct 02, 2024Researchers develop smartphone-adaptable tools to determine the impact of nicotine-infused e-cigarettes

How Are Stretch Reflexes Modulated During Voluntary Movement?

Sep 18, 2024New computational theory sheds light on a longstanding question

Professor Satwindar Singh Sadhal Honored with National Award

Sep 11, 2024Professor Sadhal has received the Donald Q. Kern Award from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE).

From the Ground Up

Aug 14, 2024Additive-manufacturing executive and three-time USC graduate Melissa Orme is helping to build the future one layer at a time.

Carpets and Flames: Design Rules for the Morphology of Ciliated Organs

Jul 29, 2024New research from USC Kanso Bioinspired Motion Lab proposes a radical new perspective on the cilia-powered fluid pumps that keep us alive.

USC Viterbi Students Present at the International Electric Propulsion Conference in France

Jul 16, 2024Students attended the 38th International Electric Propulsion Conference (IEPC) held in Toulouse, France, where they presented a paper about their project to develop a low-power solid-fuel plasma thruster for de-orbiting CubeSats.

Azad Madni Receives Prestigious National Awards

Jun 06, 2024University professor elected as AIAA honorary fellow and receives Distinguished Career Award from the Washington Academy of Sciences.

Ph.D. Student Tackles the Environmental Impact of Spacecraft Re-Entry

Jun 05, 2024José P. Ferreira, a doctoral candidate in astronautical engineering, has received the prestigious Space for Sustainability Award from the European Space Agency (ESA).

From Dreams to Degrees: USC Viterbi Class of 2024 Graduates Shape Tomorrow, Today

May 11, 2024At the forefront of engineering and technology, graduates like Christian Bryan redefine potential with degrees in cutting-edge fields and a commitment to lifelong exploration.

Master’s Class of 2024: “The Best So Far”

May 11, 2024At the USC Viterbi master’s commencement ceremonies, Dean Yannis C. Yortsos praised graduates’ resilience, ingenuity and integrity

From the Maker Space to SpaceX: Why Engineering is Far More than Fundamentals

May 08, 2024Victoria Pinkett, hands-on learner and student leader, shares how she's made the most of her USC experience.

A Graduating Engineer’s Secret to Success: Just Dance

May 07, 2024Dancer, roboticist and race car engineer Kaitlyn Kumar reveals a surprising strategy for academic excellence.

Health at Hand: Smartphone-Powered Dementia Detection

May 07, 2024Soha Niroumandi, a USC Viterbi Ph.D. student, receives an American Heart Association award to develop a non-invasive, smartphone-based diagnostic tool

No More Needle Phobia: Personalized Medicine Just Got More Flexible

May 01, 2024Hangbo Zhao presents findings on highly stretchable and customizable microneedles for application in fields including neuroscience, tissue engineering, and wearable bioelectronics.

Device designed at USC aims to provide warnings of super-silent heart attacks

Apr 07, 2024AI-informed platform could increase chance of survival

AME and ASTE Students Awarded at the 2024 AIAA Conference

Apr 01, 2024AME teams received 2nd and 3rd place in the Undergraduate Teams category.

From Biology to Batteries: Professor Krishna Garikipati is Changing the Way we Use AI to Predict Patterns

Mar 19, 2024The USC Department of Aerospace & Mechanical Engineering welcomes Professor Krishna Garikipati, a leader in the field of computational mechanics.

Ready for Takeoff: USC Viterbi Aviation Safety and Security Program Rolls Out New Course Based on Emotional Intelligence

Feb 21, 2024Students learn to promote safety and resilience in organizations through a mix of theoretical modules and hands-on exercises

Mitul Luhar joins the National Academies’ New Voices in Sciences, Engineering and Medicine

Feb 20, 2024Luhar will be part of the 2024-26 cohort of 26 outstanding early and mid-career scientists, engineers and medical professionals selected by National Academies.

Three USC Schools Collaborate to Reimagine the LA River

Feb 09, 2024Researchers in landscape architecture, fluid mechanics and augmented reality have created an interactive hydraulic model installed alongside the Los Angeles River.

Innovation and Imagination at the Annual AME Senior Design Project Showcase

Dec 14, 2023Seniors in the USC Department of Aerospace & Mechanical Engineering (AME) demo ingenious solutions to real-world engineering problems.

Behind the Scenes at a National Renewable Energy Laboratory Internship

Dec 12, 2023Mechanical Engineering PhD student Morgan Jones reports on his experience at the leading government research lab.

Professor Azad Madni Awarded ASME Honorary Membership

Nov 20, 2023Professor Azad Madni is awarded Honorary Membership by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME).

Too Close for Comfort: USC Viterbi Students Use AI to Prevent Aircraft Collisions

Nov 17, 2023USC had two teams among top 10 finalists in national FAA Data Challenge 2023.

Iris Critchell, 102, Learned to Fly at USC. She Then Taught Hundreds of Others.

Nov 08, 2023Competing in the 1936 Olympics, flying military planes in World War 2 - Critchell helped make aviation as safe as it is today.

Speeding into a New Era of Hypersonic Flight

Nov 03, 2023Associate Professor Ivan Bermejo-Moreno receives a NASA Early Career Faculty Award for computational studies of hypersonic flight.

Hangbo Zhao Receives Office of Naval Research Young Investigator Program Award

Nov 01, 2023The highly competitive program supports outstanding early career researchers developing innovative solutions to challenges faced by the Navy and Marine Corps.

Beneath the Waves

Oct 31, 2023Rusty Jehangir empowers thousands to pursue underwater robotics and exploration with startup Blue Robotics

USC Viterbi at The Economist Space Economy Summit

Oct 20, 2023USC Viterbi leadership and alumni join global thought-leaders in debate about the economic growth of a multi-billion dollar industry.

USC at the International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS)

Oct 03, 2023USC researchers present 14 papers at the International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS), showcasing leading-edge research in robotics.

DEN@Viterbi celebrates 50 years of high-impact distance learning

Sep 28, 2023The progressive pedagogy of the pioneering distance learning program has changed the lives of graduate students worldwide.

Qian, Bansal study the way robots move, interact with the world around them

Sep 21, 2023The researchers share some commonalities in their work, apart from winning an NSF CAREER Award.

Designing an Engine Ready for Hydrogen Combustion

Sep 08, 2023The U.S. Department of Energy is supporting a major USC research initiative to advance the next stage of the clean energy revolution.

Origami-Inspired Strain Sensors for Stretchable Soft Robotics

Aug 29, 2023USC researchers have developed an innovative solution to measure the motion of soft components in robotics.

Aaron McCloud Was a Student With Bad Grades and Deep Potential. He Created a Company to Help Kids Just Like Him.

Aug 24, 2023Intervene K-12 serves over 30,000 students in more than 20 school districts to provide high-impact tutoring for K-12 students within the school day.

Paul Plucinsky Receives National Science Foundation Career Award

Jul 25, 2023Plucinsky’s theory-guided approach explores the interplay between geometry and complex material behavior.

Six USC Viterbi Faculty Honored with NSF CAREER Awards

Jul 25, 2023The NSF’s most prestigious award for junior faculty will boost USC research in disease modeling, groundwater systems, machine learning and robotics.

From Safety to Wellness: What the AME Instructional Labs Do Differently

Jun 27, 2023The approach to hands-on learning at the Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering (AME) sets the tone for the 2023 Student Shop Managers Conference.

First USC Research Prototype Launches for Testing on the International Space Station

Jun 02, 2023CLINGERS, a unique docking system, is designed to facilitate sensing and docking operations in space.

Onward and upward with the USC AeroDesign Team

Jun 02, 2023The USC AeroDesign Team has a stellar track record of success. Now, they're setting their goals even higher.

So You’d Like a Job at the Largest Aerospace Company in the World?

May 26, 2023Unique partnership between Boeing and USC Viterbi allows paid summer internships, tuition expenses and a full time position after graduation.

Wide Awake and Dreaming: USC Viterbi’s 2023 Master’s Commencement Ceremonies

May 13, 2023The class of 2023 is "the best educated, the most representative in our history."

“At Heart, We’re Problem Solvers:” USC Viterbi Undergraduate Commencement 2023

May 13, 2023This year’s ceremony at Alumni Park was headlined by alumnus and venture capitalist, Mark Stevens, who praised the power and versatility of an engineering degree

Department of Aerospace & Mechanical Engineering News

Department of Aerospace & Mechanical Engineering
News